Neighbors run to aid of man accidentally shot, killed by father

By
Sara Sneath
June 17, 2014 at 1:17 a.m.Updated June 18, 2014 at 1:18 a.m.

Tracy Schultz was in her house in rural DeWitt County Monday evening when she heard a gun shot, followed by a scream.

A long-time hunter, Shultz recognized the sound as that of a shotgun and told her husband, Alan Roby, to run to their neighbor's house, where the shot rang out. She instructed her daughters to call 911.

Roby jumped over a fence to the aide of Quinn A. Lynch, a 20-year-old man Shultz described as "smart, funny and real quick-witted."

Quinn, who lived in the 1300 block of Lockhart Cemetery Road in northwest DeWitt County, was lying on the ground with a wound that appeared to be located in his right armpit.

Quinn was shot once in the right chest area with a 12 gauge shotgun when he and his father were taking the gun out of a vehicle around 7:15 p.m. Monday, said DeWitt County Sheriff Jode Zavesky.

Roby put pressure on the wound. But Quinn was fading quickly.

"I don't know if you have children or not. When you have a child that is severely injured it's very difficult for a parent to have a clear thought pattern," Schultz said.

Quinn's father, Fritz Lynch, a double amputee, could not get on the ground to help his son.

"He was just in shock," Schultz said.

Quinn's mother, Debbie, was on the phone with 911.

Quinn's father, Roby and another woman at the home lifted Quinn into the Lynches' minivan and took him to Cuero Community Hospital where he died from his injury, according to a news release from Zavesky.

Quinn and his father were very close and were always together, Schultz said.

"Fritz would pick on Quinn and Quinn would just smile and laugh. It was the type of relationship that we all want to have with our children," Schultz said.

The death appears to be a result of an accident, Zavesky said. However, Sgt. Carl Bowen of the DeWitt County Sheriff's Office is leading the investigation into the incident.